Authorities in Cross River state, Nigeria's South-South region have recovered 13 burnt corpses after unrest linked to a land dispute which also led to the burning of dozens of houses and churches.

Cross River state police spokesman, Etim Dickson says that the fighting over land erupted on Sunday and got to a peak on Monday, October 25.

"The fighting over land erupted on Sunday and got to a peak on Monday. Armed policemen and soldiers were drafted to the scene to restore peace."

"We have so far been able to count 13 burnt corpses in the fighting between the two villages in Boki (district)," Etim told pressmen.

"For now, peace has been restored. They could not continue the fighting in the presence of soldiers and policemen. The pity is that the havoc has been done before we arrived at the scene," he added.

Armed policemen and soldiers were drafted to the scene to restore peace.

Dozens of houses and churches were burnt down in the two villages during the fighting but security agents have managed to restore calm to the feuding communities, Dickson said.

Cross River state government spokesman Patrick Ugbe said a 6.00pm to 6.00 am curfew has been imposed and revealed that "between 13 and 15 badly burnt corpses were recovered from the fighting ... About 90 percent of the houses in Nsadop were burnt down."

A state government official who does not want to be named adds that government has also confiscated the land under dispute and �it is now a buffer zone".

A press statement from the Cross River State house confirmed the 6:00 pm to 6:00 am curfew now in force in the two villages and surrounding areas.

It added that "the scale of destruction of farm crops and property as well as the needless loss of lives in Nsadop was a shocking escalation of the dispute at hand and totally unacceptable."

"What is most disturbing is the potential for this brewing conflict to spread to the neighbouring communities," the statement said.

The land under dispute, located between the two communities, has been confiscated and an investigation was underway to determine the culprits, it said.

A state government official who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the unrest said the disputed land was "now a buffer zone".

"They have deployed troops to the affected communities," he said. "The governor has held a peace meeting with representatives of the communities with a view to achieving a lasting peace."

The two communities have been engaged in a land dispute for the last 20 years.
"The parcel of land being disputed is farmland," said Ugbe. "It has no oil."